❓ What's changing?
On September 9, 2026, the Cabinet Office (Director-General for Disaster Management) announced that the Disaster Relief Act has been applied to areas hit by Typhoon No. 24 and heavy rain along a stationary front. This second report covers two municipalities: Nagoya City in Aichi Prefecture (effective September 8, publicly notified September 9) and Yakushima Town, Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture (effective September 4, notified September 5).
The legal basis is Article 1, Paragraph 1, Item 4 of the Enforcement Order of the Disaster Relief Act. Unlike Items 1–3, which count destroyed homes, Item 4 applies when many people face — or risk facing — harm to life or body. It can therefore be invoked while rain is still falling and before damage counts are fixed, so relief can start early.
Once the Act applies, the prefectural governor (or the head of a designated relief city) carries out relief, with costs borne by the prefecture and the national government. Affected people can, in principle without paying, receive evacuation shelters, hot meals and drinking water, emergency temporary housing, emergency home repairs, daily necessities, medical and maternity care, and rescue operations. This is broader and differently funded than aid a city offers from its own budget.
Because this is a second report, more municipalities may be added for the same disaster. Updates are posted on the Cabinet Office disaster management website.
🌏 Impact on foreign residents
Disaster Relief Act assistance is provided to affected people, with no distinction by nationality or residence status. International students, technical intern trainees, Specified Skilled Workers and tourists caught in Nagoya City or Yakushima Town can use evacuation shelters and receive meals, drinking water, blankets and other necessities, plus medical care. Travelers without a resident record can still enter shelters as disaster victims present at the scene.
On an island like Yakushima, heavy rain can suspend ferries and flights, leaving you unable to leave. Extra accommodation costs and rebooking become the immediate problem, so check first with the town's disaster response headquarters and your accommodation. In Nagoya, emergency repairs to flooded rental housing, and emergency temporary housing (including leased private rentals) if your home becomes uninhabitable, are available to discuss.
Procedures are mainly in Japanese, but Nagoya City operates multilingual consultation desks, and shelters are expected to use translation apps or plain Japanese. Do not hesitate to explain your situation in your own language. Photos of the damage matter for a disaster victim certificate (risai shomeisho), so take pictures before you clean up.
💡 Key points to know
1Applies to Nagoya City (from Sept 8) and Yakushima Town (from Sept 4); damage from the effective date onward is covered
2Legal basis is Item 4 of the Enforcement Order — risk of harm to life or body — so it applies without waiting for confirmed housing damage counts
3Relief is funded by the prefecture and national government: shelters, meals, drinking water, necessities, emergency temporary housing, home repairs and medical care are in principle free
4There is no restriction by nationality or residence status; tourists may use evacuation shelters
5Photograph flooded rooms, household goods and the building exterior before cleaning up — you need this for the disaster victim certificate
6Apply for the risai shomeisho (disaster victim certificate) at the city or town hall; it underpins support programs and insurance claims, so apply early
7This is a second report, so more municipalities may be added — check the Cabinet Office disaster site and local government websites
8Nagoya City has multilingual consultation desks; in Yakushima, the town hall and disaster response HQ are the contact points. You can ask for interpretation support